Welded underframe for mine cars



ug. 30, 1938.a w. H. STATLER 2,123,333

WELDED UNDERFRAME'FQR MINE CARS Filed Nov. 23, 1935 f1 H /S Patented Aug. 30, 1938 UNITED STATES WELDED UNDERFRAME FOR. MINE CARS Walter H. Statler, Bethlehem, Bethlehem Steel Company,

Pennsylvania Pa., assignor to a corporation of Application November 23, 1935, Serial No. 51,241

7 Claims.

'My invention relates to improvements in underframes for railway cars and more especially to the construction of underframes for cars such as mine cars or the small service type although it may be adapted for use for other types of cars if desired.

One of the objects of my invention is to produce a car underframe formed of parts welded together to produce a strong and durable unitary construction upon which the floor and body oi the car constructed of Wood or metal or both may be mounted.

A further object of my invention relates to the manner of constructing and assembling the sill members of the underframe so it can be handled as a unit and placed upon a welding table or the like position where the parts are secured together to form a substantially integral structure.

Another object of my invention relates to the manner of forming all of the sills of the car underframe of pressed metal U-shaped members, each of uniform cross-sectional area throughout its length but of diierent depths' to allow the ends of the sills to be interlocked and the parts welded directly together.

Another object of the invention relates to the simplified manner of forming the underframe members with straight cut ends and have the anges only welded directly together without additional connecting means between the webs of the members thereby obviating the necessity of forming special shaped ends and using rivets or bolts and the punching of holes in the parts connected.

Other advantages and objects of my invention i5 will be disclosed and explained in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying one sheet of drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of my improved car underframe illustrating the application of my in- 0 vention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation.

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through the 5 central portion of one end of the car underframe taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1, but drawn on a larger scale than Figs. 1 to 3.

Figure 5 is a detail section through one of the end sills and bumper taken on the line 5 5 of l Fig. 1.

Figure 6 is a transverse section through one of the side sills taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 7 is a section view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the anges of the member the same width as i the height of the web.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawing the numeral I indicates U-shaped pressed metal side sills each having a vertically disposed web 2, and inwardly extending top and bottom ilanges 3, of considerable width which may be of slightly less width than the height of the web as indicated in Fig. 6, substantially the same width as indicated in Fig. 7, or it may be of even greater Width if desired. f

The ends of the side sills are connected together by means of end sills Il, also formed U-shaped of pressed metal, each having a vertical web 5 with inwardly extending flanges 6. The height of the end sills being the same as the space between the flanges 3 of the side sills, the ends of the end sills being inserted or nested between the flanges of the side sills and the said flanges welded directly together as at l, and the corner connections are further reinforced by top and bottom gusset plates 8 which have their opposite edges welded as at 9 to the top and bottom flanges 3 and 6 of the side sills I and end sills respectively. The central portions of the side sills I are connected. together by a transverse sill l0, and at an intermediate point betweenthe end sills l and l0 by transverse sills I l which are of the same form and cross-sectional area as the end sills and having their` ends nested between the anges of the side sills 3 and attached thereto by welding in` a similar manner as the end sills. To further stiien the side sills I, end sills 4, and transverse central sills IB, the intermediate portions of each is reinforced by means of a plurality of vertical transversely disposed web plates I2, which have their inner, upper and lower edges welded to the vertical webs and top and bottom flanges of the sill members. Draft sills I3 of U-shaped pressed metal extend between the end sills Il and the intermediate sills I I having their ends nested therein between the flanges and welded thereto as at I4. The inner edges of the flanges 6 of each of the end sills 4 and the draft sills I3 are further connected together by means of a U-shaped member I5 which is welded thereto and has a reinforcing plate welded to the central portion as at I6. The front of the central portion of the web 5 of the end sills 4 are each reinforced by means of a plate welded thereto as at il.

The webs 5 of the end sills Il and the central portion of the U-shaped members I5 are perforated as at I8 and I9 to receive the ends of pipe connections 20 which register with openings 2i and 22 in the reinforcing plates i6 and I l, for receiving the draw bars for the couplings (not shown).

Cil

To further stiffen the central portion of the car underframe diagonal braces 23 of angle irons extend between the central and intermediate sills IIJ and Il and are welded thereto as at 24.

It will be noticed that these diagonal braces extend from the central portions of the intermediate sills at a point between the inner ends of the draft sills to the outer end portions of the central transversely extending sill, in this manner the bufng and pulling stresses will be transmitted from the central portions of the intermediate sills to the outer end portions of the said central sill. This manner of backing up the inner ends of the draft sills and attaching the inner ends of the diagonal braces to the end portions of the central sill produces a more rigid structure than if the inner ends .of the diagonal braces were attached to the side sills in which case the side sills would directly receive the bufling and pulling stresses and be liable to buckle.

The outer corner ends of the car underframe are provided with U-shaped brackets 25 for supporting spring pressed buffers 26. These brackets are welded directly to the ends of the side, end sills and gusset plates and form an additional reinforcing means therefor.

It will be noted that all of the sill members used in the construction of my improved underframe are made of U-shaped pressed sheet metal having wide top and bottom flanges which may be as long or lo-nger than the height of the webs if desired. The side sills are made slightly deeper than the transversely extending end and intermediate sills. 'Ihe space between the flanges of the side sills being the same as the height of the transverse sills, while the draft sills have the same height as the space between the flanges of the end and intermediate sills, this allows the ends `of the sills to be nested together so that the assembled parts will interlock and be held in position during the welding operation without additional supporting or clamping mechanism. The wide flanges. enable me to weld the flanges of the sills directly together and form a very strong and rigid connection between the sills members.

It will also be noted that all of the parts which go to make up the underframe can be cut into lengths in the usual standard shearing machine without special machinery and can then be assembled and the flanges welded together without additional work.

It will further be noted that the ends of the transversely extending sills are not secured to the webs of the side sills but are spaced apart therefrom. This is also true with the draft sills in relation to the end and intermediate sills.

Heretofore in making a connection of this kind the inserted member on account of the inclined surfaces of the flanges as in rolled sections or the rounded corners between the flanges and the web of the member to which it is attached has to be coped to allow it to interlock properly and the parts connected together by means of angles and rivets, or the inserted member is formed with an integral pressed flanged end of special shape and the parts secured together in any approved manner, which requires considerable additional work and expense.

While my invention has been described as being particularly applicable to mine and small service cars it may, however, be applied to a standard railroad car construction, if desired.

Although I have described and illustrated my invention in considerable detail, I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown and described, but may use such substitutions, modifications or equivalents thereof, as are embraced within the scope of my invention, or as pointed out in the claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A car underframe comprising flanged U- shaped side sills and end sills, said end sills being of less height than the side sills and assembled with their ends between the flanges of the side sills and welded directly thereto, gusset plates at the corners of the underframe in the plane with the flanges of the side sills and welded to said flanges and the top and bottom flanges of the end sills, and buffer brackets welded to the ends of the end sills and side sills adapted to reinforce and connect the ends of said side sills and end sills together.

2. A car underframe comprising flanged U- shaped side sills and end sills disposed with their flanges extending inwardly adapted to connect the ends of the side sills together, buffer brackets welded to the ends of the end sills and side sills adapted to reinforce and connect the ends of said side sills and end sills together, transversely extending U-shaped intermediate sills of uniform depth disposed with their flanges extending towards the end sills, said end and intermediate sills adapted to extend the full width of the underframe and being of the same height as the space between the flanges of the side sills and adapted to have their ends assembled and supported between the side sill flanges and welded directly thereto, draft sills connecting the intermediate sills with the end sills assembled with their ends between the flanges of the end sills and intermediate sills and welded directly thereto, and diagonal braces for reinforcing the central portion of the intermediate sills.

3. A car underframe comprising U-shaped side and end sills disposed with their webs vertically and their flanges extending inwardly, transversely extending U-shaped central and intermediate sills between the end sills, spaced draft sills having their opposite ends welded to the central portions of the end and intermediate sills, and diagonal braces for reinforcing the central portions of the intermediate sills each having one end welded to thev central portion of the intermediate sills at a point between the inner ends of the spaced draft sills and the opposite end welded to the outer end portions of the central sill adjacent to the side sills.

4. A car underframe comprising U-shaped side sills and end sills disposed with their webs vertically and their flanges extending inwardly, transversely extending U-shaped central and intermediate sills between the end sills extending the full width of the underframe, said end and transversely extending U-shaped central and intermediate sills being of uniform depth throughout their length and of less height than the side sills and assembled with theirv ends between the flanges of the side sills and welded to the flanges of said side sills, spaced draft sills having their opposite ends welded to the central portions of the end and intermediate sills, and diagonal braces for reinforcing the central portions of the intermediate sills between the inner ends of the draft sills each having one end welded to the central portion of an intermediate sill at a point between the inner ends of the spaced draft sills and the opposite end Welded .to- `the outer endI CII portions of the central sill adjacent to the side sills.

5. A car underframe comprising U-shaped side sills and end sills disposed with their webs Vertically and their flanges extending inwardly, transversely extending U-shaped central and intermediate sills between the end sills extending the full width of the underfrarne, said end and transversely extending U-shaped central and intermediate sills being of uniform depth throughout their length and of the same height as the space between the flanges of the side sills and assembled with their ends between the flanges of the side sills and Welded thereto, spaced draft sills having their opposite ends welded to the central portions of the end and intermediate: sills, and a pair of diagonal braces for reinforcing the central portions of the intermediate sills having one end welded to the central portion of the intermediate sills at a point between the inner ends of the spaced draft sills and their o-pposite ends welded to the outer ends of the central sill at opposite sides of the underframe adjacent to the side sills.

6. A car underframe comprising U-shaped side sills and end sills disposed with their webs vertically and their flanges extending inwardly and their ends welded together, transversely extending U-shaped central and intermediate sills between the end sills extending the full width of the underframe and disposed with their webs vertically and their flanges extending horizontally, said transversely extending U-shaped central and intermediate sills being of uniform depth througho-ut their length and of less height than the side sills and assembled with their ends between the flanges of the side sills having their ends in spaced relation with the Webs of the side sills, a Welded connection between the flanges of the side sills and the ends of the flanges of the central and intermediate sills, spaced draft sills having their opposite ends welded to the central portions of the end and intermediate sills, a pair of diagonal braces between each of the intermediate and central transverse sills, said diagonal braces each having one end welded to the central portion of an intermediate sill at a point between the inner ends of the spaced draft sills and their opposite ends welded to the opposite outer ends of the central sill adjacent to the side sills.

7. A car underframe comprising U-shaped side sills and end sills disposed with their webs vertically and their flanges extending inwardly, transversely extending U-shaped central and intermediate sills between the end sills extending the full width of the underframe disposed with their webs vertically and their flanges extending horizontally, said transversely extending U- shaped end and intermediate sills being of uniform depth throughout their length and of less height than the side sills and assembled with their flanged edges extending toward each other with their ends between the flanges of the side sills and welded thereto, spaced draft sills having their opposite ends inserted between the flanges of the central portions of the end and intermediate sills, and a pair of diagonal braces on opposite sides of the central transversely extending sill each having one end welded to the central portion of the intermediate sill at a point between the inner ends of the spaced draft sills and the opposite end welded to the outer end portions of the central sill adjacent to the side sills.

WALTER I-I. STATLER. 

